Competitiveness White Paper

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 3:32 pm on 13 June 1996.

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Photo of Nick Harvey Nick Harvey Shadow Spokesperson (Trade and Industry) 3:32, 13 June 1996

The Deputy Prime Minister presented an upbeat picture this afternoon, but what would he say to the 250,000 people who lost their jobs in the first quarter of this year, the highest number since the winter of 1992–93? Will they enjoy the better quality of life for all that he has talked about? Was he not nearer the mark when trailing the White Paper in yesterday's Financial Times? He said: We must now further raise the quality of our education system, training, innovation and a host of other factors if the UK's performance is to match the rest of the world. After 17 years of Tory government and a raft of education measures, is not the right hon. Gentleman acknowledging that the triumph that he has proclaimed this afternoon is a long way from reality?